Power Walk Ministries

Guest (Male): Welcome to this broadcast of Power Walk. We’re excited that you’ve joined us today as Dr. Cannings brings the final message in this series titled, "Tap In." Second Corinthians chapter 3 has been the framework for this series and in his final statement in this section, the apostle Paul strives to make us comprehend that we are no longer under the law, but Christ has now given us new life. Teaching today about what exactly this entails, Pastor Cannings brings us the message, "New Life." Let’s listen.

Dr. Paul Cannings: Years ago growing up in Guyana, South America, I admired my oldest brother because he could play a lot of different instruments. He played the saxophone and he would teach himself how to do it and then would watch other people doing it and sit with them and they'd give him different points about what he could do this and that way. He just had this natural instinct for music. He’d play the guitar and do it very well. He would play the piano and just had this knack, this instinct for music and did an exceptional job of it.

As a matter of fact, I didn't even know that until his passing when he lived in Manhattan that he played with a tremendous amount of popular musicians, just the world’s best bass guitar player. I had no clue the level of influence my brother had in New York and because of his music that he did around the world. He became that influential, but his desire to be in church doing that was killed. And as a young boy, it resonated in my heart what that did to him.

Because he went to church and he played a different way. He didn't play the traditional way that they would play the hymn. He would play different with a different kind of style and people liked it. But the people in the church said that is secular, that is worldly. So what is a hymn? What is a spiritual song that we see in Colossians chapter 3 when he talks about sing psalms, hymns, spiritual songs, praise songs? What does that mean? Folks didn't study that. They just said a hymn was the one in the hymnal and we're going to sing from the hymnal because that was what God wants us to sing from. And my brother just was free-hearted and eventually he never played in church anymore because of all the criticisms and the beatdown that he went through. And I saw the legalism stifle the influence of Christ in my brother's life.

As a young boy growing up, it made me study the scriptures and to see what was God's intent, what was the culture in his day because Christ never seemed to push his culture on anybody. He never said this is the way to do it based on the Jewish culture. No, he didn't. Paul would say, "I went to the Romans and I became like a Roman in order to influence others," not in violation of scripture, but in learning the things of Roman culture. So as a Roman—Paul was a Roman Jew—I can learn how to deal with those dynamics without violating the scriptures.

Jesus Christ said, "I came for the world." In Revelation he says, "I'm gathering all people from all the world." God doesn't have suburbs and urban communities in heaven. It's all people from every background, every nation. Peter would say, "Now I get it," in Acts chapter 10, that God intends to reach people from all around the world. He should have gotten it earlier when he said, "Go ye into all the world, Judea, Samaria, the uttermost parts of the world." That didn't hit him until later in Acts chapter 10 when he went to Cornelius's house.

You see, we tend to let our culture and how we look at worship be influenced by that culture. As a result of that, we tend to think we are experiencing God from how we feel when we hear the music or how this person is so intellectual when they communicate the scriptures. And sometimes we are more legalistic than we are spiritual. Paul can best tell us about that because as we've been going through this study this week, Paul was so legalistic he was killing Christians for violating the 300 laws that the elders added to the laws of Moses. Folks, Paul says, "I had to learn. I had to get on the studies of people who would teach me for 14 years so I can write the book of Galatians, as I said yesterday, talking about law and grace."

So many times when we come to the Bible, we feel like when we know so much about it, we're closer to God. And Paul wants to teach us, no, I thought that too and it's not true. So let's look at this last section here in Second Corinthians chapter 3 and the last part of verse 6 to get some clarity on that. Because yes, on one hand, we have to learn the scriptures. We must learn what the Bible is saying. That is so true, can't argue that. But Paul breaks it out for us to make sure that we understand that there is a purpose behind that. There's a goal in that. The goal is not an end-all goal to just know all the Bible verses and all the different theological systems. No. As a matter of fact, sometimes as a pastor, I don't want to get into all the theological systems because people argue more about it than they actually learn how to live within it.

So the bottom part of verse 6 he says—let me read the whole part of verse 6. He says, "Who hath made us able." Able. Key word we didn't get into as much yesterday. Able meaning having the ability, the power. That's why he would talk about later on in chapter 12 verse 7 that we read: "In my weakness, I became strong." God teaches me how to be able. Able means to have the empowerment, the capacity, the ability to do what I need to do. The only way I could get there is because I had to learn to trust Christ. I had to learn to live through him. How do I become like him? I no longer live, it's Christ that lives in me. I arrive at the goal line. Fix my eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of the race.

He says, so I'm focused that way. Verse 6 he says, that's why because of what he's doing in me, the work he's doing inside of me and building this sufficiency in me, now I have the capacity, the ability, the empowerment to be able to be a minister of the New Testament. The only way that I can do anything is to understand that the Lord is able to do exceedingly abundantly all I could ever ask or think. I am not able. He's the one that's able. And because of him, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

See, Paul said it's because of that, now I'm able to write half the New Testament. Without that, there's no inspiration of scripture that would take place. Not because I'm the top guy in the church house. That didn't make me able. What made me able is the spiritual transformation through the application of God's word through the powerful movement of the Holy Spirit in my life. That's what Paul is teaching us and that's why he says, I can't look at the word of God like it's a letter. What he's talking about here, he's talking about the law. He's comparing New Testament and not the letter.

The letter would be the Old Testament and making these 300 more laws attached to it making it a legalistic system that now people are doing, feeling that because I follow these legalistic processes, I'm close to God. No, the people that felt that they were following those legalistic systems that said they were close to God killed Jesus. They killed him on their traditions. That's why Paul would talk about don't follow the traditions of men. Christ would even attack that in Mark chapter 7 verse 5 on. He would say, "You follow those traditions, but those traditions cause you to reject me."

He talks about traditions. He says don't follow the traditions of men he writes here in Corinth. Don't follow those traditions. Follow the traditions that are of Christ. The Lord's Supper, the baptism, going to church, obeying God in the midst of whatever you're dealing with in your life. Let's bring it there. Let's learn how when you can't stand somebody how to love an enemy. He says that's what Christ is saying. Your reward is in the loving the person that hates you. That's why Christ on Calvary's cross would say, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." He's loving people that hated him. Jesus tells you seventy times seven. That's a whole different kind of grace.

You see, we go to church, we have our Bibles, we hear the word of God, we say the right things we’re supposed to say, we get in the car, we go home after our holy hour and we're good. No, you’re not. The Bible says church is not over till you fellowship. Church is not over till you serve. Church is not over until the vision of God is being implemented in the church, in the community, and in the world. And he's saying that's what lasts forever.

So some following this letter: "I pay the bills. I work this job. I come home. I'm the man of the house." No. The Bible says if you're going to be a leader, be a slave. Be a servant. Die. So therefore, that's how now you're Christ in the home. If you just follow the letter: "Teach the word. I've got devotions." Okay, yeah. But how is it impacting the hearts of your kids when they watch you forgive your wife and watch you forgive people and love your family? How does that influence their character?

As they go and sit in church, you're thinking they're getting it, but then as soon as they go to college, they don't want nothing to do with it. What happened? It was the letter. He's saying that letter didn't change nothing. They put Jesus on the cross with that letter. It doesn't change the person's life. It doesn't change just following all these legalistic rules that the church may create or people come from backgrounds that says this is this and if you don't do this you don't really have the spirit of God unless you speak in this tongue, unless you do this. What does the Bible say about that? When are we going to come to the scriptures and say, "God, what do you want me to do to experience the work of the Holy Spirit inside of me?"

So if I don't live in the spirit, this life that Christ has promised me on this earth where I have joy no matter what, peace no matter what, I could have strength no matter the difficulties. I can learn how to live gentle, meaning I'm going into situations and I'm not trying to create strife and anger in people's hearts and lives. That's the life and life abundantly. I died so that you could become my friend. He says that's the purpose of it.

So the spirit of God came to guide us into that truth. I have to obey the word of God to come to the second thing, First Corinthians chapter 2, the illumination of the scripture. So now I understand what the word is by the application. That's what First John would say. I must walk in the light as he is in the light to have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ keep purifying me. And the spirit of God will keep reminding us of the word of God.

And that's another thing he does because we are walking in it. The word of God becomes a GPS system for life. But when it's legalistic, people like my brother want to step back in the church but took all that talent to the world. Many people just come to the church and there's lots of lists of what to say and all these different things. And Christ is saying let's learn the word of God so that we become like Paul. I no longer live, it is Christ that lives in me. How could I be more like Christ so that all in life became about this life that is in me? Stay focused and tap in.

Guest (Male): That’s Pastor Paul Cannings giving us a great summary of all that the Holy Spirit does for us as believers. Now, if you’re listening today and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is something that’s foreign to you or you’d like to know more, then please give us a call at 281-260-7402. That’s 281-260-7402. Or write us at Power Walk Ministries, P.O. Box 920517, Houston, Texas 77092. Our web address is powerwalkministries.org.

I am so excited about the pastor’s conference coming up April the 23rd through the 25th. You cannot miss it. There’s going to be such a great group of teachers teaching, well-trained, well-prepared, practice what they’re teaching in their local churches. Here’s some examples, folks: Pastor and Deacons Functioning Under the Lordship of Christ; the biblical approach to resolving conflict in the church; traits of successful leaders; effective teaching methods for children; how do you have a great contemporary worship service that is biblically based; succession planning; social media, how could you make it very positive for your children; how you overcome stagnation in the local church; developing a counseling ministry; dealing with mental health issues in the local church; marketing; moving from traditional ministry to bibliocentric ministry; how do you grow the church through evangelism for God’s glory and God’s honor.

You cannot miss this conference April the 23rd through the 25th, 2026, at 7350 T.C. Jester Boulevard right here at Living Word Fellowship Church. I pray you’ll go to powerwalkministries.org, powerwalkministries.org, and find out more. Get into that early bird special where you can bring 10 or more people and get a discount so that you can be a part of an effective, productive conference that will bless your life. Come on, be a part of this. You will not be disappointed. April the 23rd through the 25th. Look forward to seeing you.

That’s powerwalkministries.org. You can visit there to purchase any of our resources or to reach out to our offices. Again, to call us, our number is 281-260-7402. If you live in the Houston area or you’re planning a visit soon, please visit us at Living Word Fellowship Church where Pastor Cannings serves as senior pastor. Sunday services are at 8:00 AM and 11:00 AM, and we’d love to have you stop by this weekend. And now as we leave you, remember, when we accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit took residence in our lives. So let’s submit to and rely on him each day to transform our thoughts, desires, and actions.